Israel is attempting a risky strategy, increasing the intensity of its attacks in an attempt to force Hezbollah to back down, while raising the chances of an aggressive response that devolves into a land war.

With the danger of a wider Middle East war looming, Israel on Friday bombarded part of the Lebanese capital, killing at least 12 people and wounding 66 others, Lebanese authorities said. The strike came just days after thousands of sabotaged electronic devices exploded across the country,

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant did say on Wednesday, however, that his country's war with Iran's so-called proxy groups in the region had entered a "new phase," announcing a shift to the north of Israel after 11 months of intense conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.